Access Missouri

With Missouri's unemployment hovering around 9 percent, it's never been more important for the next generation to consider how best to prepare themselves for 21st-century jobs. For many students, this preparation includes a college education. However, the cost of higher education can be prohibitive.

While many universities offer some financial aid depending on academic merit, financial need and endowed scholarships -- in addition to federal financial assistance -- some students previously fell short of qualifying or the assistance was not enough.

Fortunately, since 2007 students with the greatest financial need attending a Missouri college have benefited from Access Missouri scholarships.

The annual Access Missouri award for the 2010-2011 school year was previously set at $950 for students attending a Missouri four-year public institution. However, this amount was recently adjusted to $1,010, resulting in an additional $60 for students during the spring semester.

Students attending a Missouri public two-year institution will see award amounts increase from $275 to $470. And those attending a private four-year institution will see their award amounts increase from $1,900 to $2,160.

Higher Education commissioner David Russell attributed the increase this semester to a conservative approach in setting award levels last year.

Locally, 27 percent of Southeast Missouri State University undergraduate students received an Access Missouri scholarship during the fall semester. And since the program's inception, Southeast has seen an increase in the number of freshmen enrolling at the university.

According to Debbie Below, assistant vice president for enrollment management and director of admissions at Southeast, the average enrollment of freshmen at the university between 2003 to 2006 was 1,548. During the past four years, however, the university has seen an average freshmen class size of 1,841.

"The university's growth in enrollment is attributed to several factors, but one is certainly the availability of need-based aid through programs like the federal Pell Grant, the federal Academic Competitiveness Grant, the federal SMART Grant and Access Missouri," said Below.

Below did present one caveat in that both the Academic Competitiveness Grant and the SMART Grant are in their last year for providing assistance to eligible students.

Those seeking a higher education should be aware that financial aid opportunities do exist for those who qualify. And thanks to Access Missouri, these opportunities are even greater for those students attending a Missouri institution.